Hundreds of North Korean casualties in Kursk region

North Korean forces have suffered ‘several hundred’ casualties fighting against Ukrainian troops in Russia’s Kursk region, a senior US military official said.

North Korean soldiers receiving uniforms and equipment at a Russian training base. Picture: Ukrainian Centre for Strategic Communication and Information Security

North Korean forces have suffered “several hundred” casualties fighting against Ukrainian troops in Russia’s Kursk region, a senior US military official said on Tuesday.

Pyongyang has sent thousands of troops to reinforce Russia’s war effort, including to the Kursk border region, where Ukrainian forces seized territory earlier this year.

“Several hundred casualties is our latest estimate that the DPRK has suffered,” the official said, using an abbreviation for North Korea’s official name.

This “would include everything from ... light wounds up to being KIA (killed in action)”, with soldiers of “all ranks” among the casualties.

“These are not battle-hardened troops. They haven’t been in combat before,” the official said, and this was likely contributing to “why they have been suffering the casualties they have at the hands of the Ukrainians”.

Ukrainian commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrsky said Russia had used North Korean troops in an “intensive offensive” in Kursk over several days.

A landmark defence pact between Pyongyang and Moscow signed in June came into force earlier this month.

Experts say the nuclear-armed North’s leader, Kim Jong-un, is keen to acquire advanced technology from Russia and ­battle experience for his troops.

US President Joe Biden’s administration has been a key supporter of Kyiv and has been rushing to provide it with billions of dollars in authorised aid before president-elect Donald Trump takes office next month.

Mr Trump has repeatedly criticised US assistance for Ukraine and claimed he could secure a ceasefire within hours – comments that triggered fears in Kyiv and Europe about the ­future of US aid under his ­administration.

A senior defence official on Tuesday said not all the remaining $US5.6bn that can be drawn from US stocks may be used in time. “I would certainly anticipate that ... there could be remaining authority that would … be available for the next administration to use,” the official said.

AFP